Kevin Olirri

Utah County approves massive AI data center, drawing outrage over resource consumption

Residents in Utah County are outraged after the county approved a 40,000-acre AI data center, owned by billionaire Kevin Olirri, despite only one week's notice. The project is expected to consume over double the state's current power usage and raises concerns about utility costs, environmental pollution, and water depletion. Critics argue that such projects primarily benefit billionaires and large tech companies while burdening local communities, with federal actions allegedly fast-tracking permits by bypassing regulations.